Coronavirus response update 7th May 2020

Tomorrow’s Bank Holiday marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. For many, this will be a day of celebration as it marks the end of the last major pan European conflict. But there will also be some sadness at the losses suffered both as a country but also within our families. I’ll be spending some time tomorrow thinking of the service both my grandfathers’ gave during the conflict; my paternal granddad served in North Africa with the tank division and my maternal granddad served in the Mediterranean with the Royal Air Force. Fortunately, both survived to tell their tales, although some of those tales grew taller over the years!  I’ll also think about my mum, who was born in 1942 and would have been three years old at the end of the war. She is still affected by her experience at that time and is terrified of the sound of thunder and lightning; that sound reminds her of the bombing raids in North Manchester and the invokes memories of sitting under the stairs with her mum and her brothers waiting for it all to pass. Whist we should always look forward as a nation and look towards the future (particularly at the moment), it is important, sometimes, to think about our collective past.  

A few updates today:

We have received and processed requests for access to laptops and 4G internet access in the last week and will send emails to those who have been successful today. We are also looking at how we will distribute these once they have been configured.

We would like to bring to your attention the following opportunity that has come in to us for Tameside students to enter The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition asks young writers to consider how the Commonwealth can address global challenges and work to create a better future for all its citizens. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall launched the 2020 Competition in New Zealand on the theme of Climate Action and the Commonwealth; drawing on the increasing youth movement across the Commonwealth and the ongoing climate crisis. Young people are called upon to use any form of creative writing to consider their position and power in bringing about change, and how the Commonwealth can be used as a tool for positive action.

The Competition is valuable not only in promoting the value of the Commonwealth, it is also a unique chance to develop creative writing and written English skills and share views and experiences with a global audience. It has the full support of its Patron, Her Majesty the Queen, who is represented by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the annual awards ceremony celebrating the Winners’ achievements. Entries will be accepted through the online platform until 30 June 2020. The platform can be reached at https://www.thercs.org/pages/category/literacy . It would be great if you could encourage your sons and daughters to apply.

That’s it for today; enjoy the Bank Holiday!

Take care, look after yourself, your families and each other; be patient and stay positive.

Anton